Rig Veda 3.41.2: Mandala 3, Sukta 41, Mantra 2
Sukta 3.41
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Devata
- Indra, with ritual apparatus foregrounded
- Chandas
- Gayatri
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace) and Vira (heroism)
सत्तो होता न ऋत्वियस्तिस्तिरे बर्हिरानुषक् । अयुज्रन्प्रातरद्रयः ॥
sattó hótā na ṛtvíyas tistiré bárhir ānuṣák | áyujran prā́tar ádrayaḥ ||
បព្វជិតរបស់យើងដែលគោរពតាមរដូវកាលបានអង្គុយហើយ ហើយស្មៅពិសិដ្ឋត្រូវបានគេក្រាលតាមលំដាប់ត្រឹមត្រូវ នៅពេលព្រឹកគ្រឿងសម្រាប់កិតសូម៉ាត្រូវបានដាក់ឲ្យធ្វើការ ដើម្បីស្រង់យកភាពរីករាយសម្រាប់កិច្ចការពិសិដ្ឋ។
Word by Word
- सत्तः
- seated, duly stationedAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (PPP; ‘seated/settled’)Role Kartā (होता-सम्बन्धी विशेषण)Root सद् (धातु) → सत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- होता
- the Hotṛ-priest (invoker)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot हु (धातु) → होतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, asIndeclinableनिपात (उपमा/सादृश्यार्थे: ‘like/as’)Root न
- ऋत्वियः
- the officiating priest (ṛtvij)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप; = ऋत्विज् ‘ritual priest’)Role Kartā (उपमान-रूपेण)Root ऋत्विय (प्रातिपदिक) < ऋतु
- तिस्तिरे
- has spread, has strewnVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्श), आत्मनेपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRole Kriyā (मुख्य क्रिया)Root स्तॄ (धातु) ‘to spread/strew’
- बर्हिः
- the sacred grass (barhis)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot बर्हिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनुषक्
- in due order; successively/alongIndeclinableअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)Root अनुषक्
- अयुज्रन्
- they yoked; they harnessedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन भूत), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, बहुवचन; अ-आगमRole Kriyā (द्वितीय क्रिया)Root युज् (धातु) ‘to yoke/join’
- प्रातर्
- in the morningIndeclinableकालवाचक-अव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)Root प्रातर्
- अद्रयः
- the pressing-stones (for Soma)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (अयुज्रन् इत्यस्य)Root अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: सत्तः | होता | न | ऋत्वियः | तिस्तिरे | बर्हिः | अनुषक् | अयुज्रन् | प्रातर् | अद्रयः || 1) ‘अयुज्रन्प्रातरद्रयः’ इति संहितायां: अयुज्रन् + प्रातर् + अद्रयः → अयुज्रन्प्रा॒तरद्र॑यः (न् + प्रा- इत्यत्र परसवर्ण/अनुस्वार-प्रकृति; प्रातर् + अद्रयः इत्यत्र र् + अ → र (संधि) तथा पदसीमा-लोपः). 2) ‘बर्हिरानुषक्’ पाठे ‘बर्हिः + अनुषक्’ इति पदविभागः
- संहितायां विसर्ग-लोपः/रकारादेशः (वैदिक संधि) द्वारा ‘बर्हिर्…’ रूपम्।
The meaning
Outer meaning
The Hotṛ priest is seated for the proper season; the ritual grass is spread in order; at dawn the pressing-stones were yoked.
Inner meaning
The verse describes inner preparation: the ‘Hotṛ of the right times’ is the discerning will/intuition that knows the true moment (ṛtviya). The barhis (sacred grass) is the spread of receptive consciousness—wideness prepared to seat the divine. The stones yoked at dawn signify disciplined forces harnessed early in the awakening to press out Soma (delight) from the substance of life.
Universal truth
Realization is not random: it needs right timing, prepared receptivity, and disciplined instruments that extract essence from experience.
Themes
Ritual preparation, Right order and timing, Dawn opening, Extraction of Soma
The seer
- Rishi
- Viśvāmitra Gāthina
- Lineage
- Kauśika
- Other hymns
- RV 3.41.1, RV 3.41.3, RV 3.1
Family tradition
A practical yogic ritualism: outer rite mirrors inner discipline; emphasis on right order (ṛta) and effective instrumentation.
Significance
Viśvāmitra’s vision integrates precision and power—spiritual life as a conscious ‘sacrifice’ with correct timing and prepared receptacle.
The deity
- Devata
- Indra (contextual)
- Epithets
- Somapā (implied by pressing), Śūra (context)
- Related deities
- Agni (as Hotṛ archetype), Soma, Bṛhaspati
Cosmic role
Recipient of Soma who empowers the victory; presides over the effective energizing of the rite.
Inner power
Awakened intelligence that responds when the inner rite is properly set—timing, receptivity, disciplined force.
In ritual
Where it is used
Soma rite preliminaries: seating the Hotṛ, spreading barhis, yoking pressing stones
स॒त्तो होता॑ न ऋ॒त्विय॑स्तिस्ति॒रे ब॒र्हिरा॑नु॒षक् । अयु॑ज्रन्प्रा॒तरद्र॑यः ॥
स॒त्तः । होता॑ । नः॒ । ऋ॒त्वियः॑ । ति॒स्ति॒रे । ब॒र्हिः । आ॒नु॒षक् । अयु॑ज्रन् । प्रा॒तः । अद्र॑यः ॥
sattaḥ | hotā | naḥ | ṛtviyaḥ | tistire | barhiḥ | ānuṣak | ayujran | prātaḥ | adrayaḥ
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3 × 8 syllables (verify)
Orderly, stepwise, procedural—reflecting preparation.
Stabilizes and organizes attention; good for ‘settling’ before deeper invocation.
- hotā
- Literal: Hotṛ priest. Symbolic: the invoking power in us (intuitive will) that calls the divine
- ṛtviyaḥ
- Literal: seasonal/at right times. Symbolic: acting in harmony with ṛta; discernment of the true moment
- barhiḥ
- Literal: sacrificial grass. Symbolic: widened, receptive foundation of consciousness
- ānuṣak
- Literal: in due succession, orderly. Symbolic: gradual, well-ordered inner preparation (no forcing)
- adrayaḥ
- Literal: pressing-stones. Symbolic: concentrated energies of practice that press out Soma (Ananda)
Ritual-preparatory description in Soma liturgy: seating of Hotar, spreading of barhis, yoking of pressing stones at dawn
Before or during morning pressing (prātaḥ-savana) preparations
Ritual setup and commencement of pressing
A checklist-mantra for practice: sit, prepare the seat, harness the tools—useful before meditation or study.
hotā from √hu ‘to call, invoke’. ṛtviya from ṛtu ‘season/right time’ (linked to ṛta ‘order’ from √ar ‘fit/join’). barhis is ritual seat/foundation. yuj from √yuj ‘to yoke’ (PIE *yeug-; Latin iugum, English yoke). prātaḥ ‘early/dawn’ ties to the dawning of light as inner opening. adri ‘stone’ as the pressure-tool for Soma extraction.
Rita as right timing and right sequence (ṛtviya, ānuṣak), Tapas/discipline as ‘yoking’ instruments (ayujran adrayaḥ)
‘ṛtviyaḥ’ explicitly ties action to ṛta—right order/time as cosmic law mirrored in sādhanā.
Truth is approached through correct alignment and steady preparation.
Dawn as the renewing moment when forces are yoked and essence is extracted—daily recreation of the inner world.
Vedic yajña-psychology: inner sacrifice as method of transformation.
dawn
Dawn = first illumination; grass seat = receptive wideness; stones = disciplined effort compressing experience into essence.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The ‘rite is set in order’ mythologem: before divine action, the human and cosmic order must be established—priest seated, barhis spread, stones yoked at dawn. Inner sense: the aspirant arranges the faculties in right sequence (ṛta), preparing a stable seat for higher powers and harnessing disciplined means to extract delight/essence.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- √yuj ‘yoke’ is PIE *yeug- (clear IE cognate set: yoke/iugum). The ritual lexicon preserves archaic social-technical vocabulary (priestly office, yoking, seat/spread) typical of early Indo-European poetic traditions describing sacred action as ordered craft.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi emphasizes human preparation as the counterpart to divine descent: by establishing right timing (ṛtviya) and right sequence (ānuṣak), the sacrificer creates the conditions in which Indra and the gods can arrive and act effectively—showing reciprocity between order offered and power received.
Prepare the inner seat (barhis) and set right timing; begin practice at ‘dawn-mind’—fresh, clear, unburdened.
Mūlādhāra (seat/stability) supporting Anāhata (receptivity)
3 deep settling breaths; then chant softly, letting each pāda correspond to: sit—spread—yoke.
Quiet readiness, disciplined calm
Use as a prelude: (1) sit upright, (2) widen awareness like a seat, (3) harness attention to one object; only then proceed to deeper mantra.
Procedural tone; observe accent marks where available; keep cadence even across three pādas.
Do not over-emphasize; let ‘prātaḥ’ be slightly brighter to mark dawn.
sattaḥ: double t articulation; final ḥ light, ṛtviyaḥ: vocalic ṛ and cluster tv; keep short and clean, tistire: retroflex ṭ not present; simple dental t, ayujran: jra cluster (yuj) kept smooth; avoid ‘ayujaran’
Low, steady, preparatory; like laying foundations.
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